America 250 NC Freedom Fellows

This Fellowship provides fifteen K-12 educators (representing each region of the state) the chance to deepen their historical scholarship of complex histories while exploring best practices for engaging students in comprehensive narratives of the past. The Fellowship will also provide an equally important pathway for K-12 educators to engage in a professional community of teaching and learning, network with other historians, scholars & authors from around the state, and engage their expertise as they shape how the America 250 NC initiative and resources are implemented in schools and classrooms around the state. 

Throughout four in-person and three virtual meetings, our programming will take a broad approach examining how North Carolinians have continued to engage with freedom, civic responsibility, and the ideals of democracy throughout the last 250 years, inclusive of but also well beyond the period of the American Revolution. Who, historically to present, has fought for freedom? Who has resisted? Who has persisted? Who continues the fight today? (For additional details on this thematic approach, read more about the America 250 NC’s themes here.)

The Fellowship will center on educator development in the following four categories:

• Content Knowledge:  Deepen your understanding of NC’s history, people, and events (with a focus on the ongoing struggle for various freedoms) through: place-based engagements at DNCR sites across the state; interaction with historians and authors; experiential activities; tours; general exploration of the themes of America 250 NC; and more. All aspects of the Fellowship are aligned to NC DPI’s Essential Standards.
• Pedagogy:  Share and further develop best practices that most effectively engage students in a comprehensive, effective, and hopeful history education (with a focus on categories such as local/place-based learning, primary sources, the integration of arts and cultural experiences, critical thinking, meaningful discussion, etc.)
• Serving as Expert Advisors: Provide your expertise to the State A250 Education Committee on how best to engage teachers and students around the state, as well as to various DNCR entities on how to make historic sites/spaces, exhibits, resources, etc., more effective and interactive for maximizing K -12 teaching and learning. Provide feedback on potential curriculum gaps and desired lesson plans or topics related to classroom materials. Review and/or pilot newly created historical resources and classroom materials throughout the Fellowship.
• Networking & Collaboration: Cultivate relationships with educators from around the state, forming a collaborative cohort of resources and support; connect with various DNCR staff, as well as other scholars, authors, and history professionals, to grow your professional network. Fellows will also receive special access to/notice of other A250 opportunities (such as classroom grants, potential classroom visitors, etc).

The America 250 NC Fellowship offers a transformative opportunity for K -12 educators to reconnect with their roles as scholars as they both dive into and discover diverse histories of North Carolina, as well as exercise their expertise as Fellows liaise with and advise other scholars working both in and outside of the K -12 space. Ultimately, the A250 Freedom Fellowship will open doors into the past for K-12 teaching professionals from each region of the state, allowing Fellows (and in return, their students) to more fully understand the world we live in today as we help students step into their roles as the leaders of tomorrow.

For more information about the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ America 250 NC plans, visit their website or watch this short video. 

This Fellowship is a six-month professional commitment (June 2025 – December 2025) with the following participation requirements:

• Attendance at four in-person engagements (as described in the timeline below); after attendance at each engagement
  • Each Fellow will receive a $500 stipend after the first in-person engagement in June, and an additional $500 stipend will be issued at the end of the program in December.
• Participation in 2-3 virtual engagements
• Throughout the program, Fellows are expected to complete assigned pre-readings; post about their experiences on social media and/or via writing; and respond to emails, surveys, and/or feedback requests in a timely manner.
• Fellows will independently work on a related activity/project throughout the six months. (See the Program Deliverables section below.)

In our commitment to valuing teachers as professional scholars, all Fellowship events are free of charge and include meals and lodging (for Fellows traveling certain distances). Stipends will be provided throughout this opportunity to help defer travel costs and compensate Fellows for their time. Fellows will receive $1,000 dispersed in two increments, as noted in the Fellowship Timeline below.

In addition to stipends, Fellows will also receive meals, classroom resources, special access to Historic Sites, connection to a network of historians & collaborators, and special surprises along the way!

FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE

• Monday, March 24, 2025   Applications Open
• Monday, April 15, 2025   Application Deadline
• Thursday, May 15, 2025  Selected Fellows Notified. Fellows will confirm their full participation in America 250 and receive additional instructions for registration into UNC’s PaymentWorks system.

Thursday, May 29 | Virtual Session

• Fellows will participate in a virtual session for their first round of introductions with staff and participants. 

Saturday, June 14 | Fellowship Kick-Off (Raleigh)

• Fellows will begin exploring America 250 NC themes in Raleigh, NC, focusing on freedom, civic responsibility, and democracy over the past 250 years. The kick-off will be held in downtown Raleigh and will include private tours of the State Archives of North Carolina, NC Freedom Park, the North Carolina State Capitol (which will be hosting a 160th Anniversary of Juneteenth, featuring a concert and community art collaboration), and more. Fellows will receive a $500 stipend following attendance. 

Friday, July 18 to Saturday, July 19 | Brunswick Town and the NC Maritime Museum (Southport)

• Fellows will travel to Southport to join the NC Maritime Museum for "In the Glorious Cause of Liberty: The 250th Anniversary of the Burning of Fort Johnston." This symposium will feature living history events and a nighttime commemoration of the 1775 burning of Fort Johnston. This event had a lasting impact on Cape Fear residents and the emerging republic. 

Thursday, August 14| Virtual Session

• Fellows will participate in a virtual session that is primarily learner-directed and shaped by their feedback. This session will provide an opportunity to identify questions, interests, and skills they wish to develop. Sessions may include scholar engagement, pedagogical discussions, working groups, and deliverable planning.

Saturday, Sept. 27 | Overmountain Men - Western North Carolina

• Fellows will examine less-known narratives of the American Revolution, including that of the Overmountain Men, as well as the lives of indigenous people and enslaved people. The day will include a private tour of Fort Defiance in Lenoir, NC. Research and discussions will explore genealogy and archaeology, focusing on the 1770s fort and related history.

Thursday, October 16 | Virtual Session

• Fellows will join a second learner-directed virtual session shaped by their feedback. They will have opportunities to engage with scholars, discuss pedagogical methods, participate in working groups, and refine deliverables.

Saturday, December 13| One History, Many Voices:  Tryon Palace & Fellows Closing Celebration

• Fellows will attend "One History, Many Voices: Tryon Palace & Fellowship Closing Celebration." Tryon Palace, the first permanent capitol of colonial North Carolina (1767–1770), is the backdrop for this culminating event. The visit will include discussions on the Revolutionary Era, the Civil War, African American history, and engagement with the 35th USCT (United States Colored Troops) re-enactors. The Fellowship will conclude with a celebration, reflection, and planning for future collaborations. Fellows will receive a $500 stipend following attendance and submission of final activities.

  *Virtual Sessions: Three virtual touchpoints will be held; these will primarily be learner-directed and designed based on Fellow Feedback. Fellows will be asked what questions and interests they have based on program themes and what information/skills they may feel they are missing. Thus, they will have the opportunity to direct their learning and guide the program. Virtual sessions may include engagement with scholars, pedagogical discussions, working groups as Fellows complete deliverables, and more. 

  **Flexible Dates: Fellows will receive notice of various events hosted across DNCR’s Historic Sites throughout the Fellowship and will ideally attend at least one local event of your choice.

The America 250 NC Commemoration and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources provide funding for this Fellowship. 

America 250 Fellowship Cohort 2- Requirements & Opportunities

As part of North Carolina’s America 250 Fellowship, you will participate in professional development, field experiences, and workshops that equip you with tools to teach the U.S. semiquincentennial, focusing on North Carolina. Your contributions to this fellowship will go far beyond this group; what you learn and create will contribute to the growing body of work that has already been set forth to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. To ensure your learning and impact extend beyond the fellowship, you will complete the following:

🎯 Required Contributions

1. Post about your experiences on social media.

Fellows must have a LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook account from which you will post about each in-person meeting and the Fellowship. A minimum of four posts throughout the Fellowship is required and should be tagged with: #America250NC and #NCLearningHappensHere 

2. Create a Reflection (Choose One)
   1. Write a blog post reflecting on your journey, insights, and/or classroom applications. These will be published on the DNCR, America 250 NC, and Carolina K-12 websites.
   2. Record a video reflection or create a reel (1-3 minutes) highlighting your engagement with and/or your students’ engagement with America 250 NC and/or how the Fellowship has impacted your teaching.
3. Showcase America 250 NC (Choose One)
   1. Student Project: Document a project in your classroom that engages students in America 250 NC.
   2. Lesson Contribution: Adapt, teach, and/or promote a lesson featured on America 250 NC.
   3. Community Engagement—Organize or participate in a local event related to the U.S. semi-quincentennial, such as a museum visit, historic site visit, student presentation, or public history project.
   4. Professional Development Contribution: Lead a short session (virtual or in-person) for fellow teachers on a topic you explored during the fellowship.
   5. Public Presentation – Share your work at the 2026 NC Council for the Social Studies State Conference, NC Middle Level Educators Conference, a local or school PD session etc.

Questions about this program or applying? Contact educationoutreach@dncr.nc.gov. 

Funding for this Fellowship is provided by the America 250 NC Commemoration and the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.